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VILLIAM A. VONOANON", OF` NDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

COMBINED PAD-MOISTENER AND LETTER-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,733, dated August 9, 1898. Application filed October 19, 1897. l Serial No. 655,678. (No modell) To aZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that LWILLIAM A. VONCANON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Pad- Moistener and Letter-Press, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my said invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive apparatus for copying letters and other manuscripts, which shall also be easily portable.

It consists in a pair of clampingplates connected together and provided with adjustably-mounted clamping-levers, one of said plates being boxed or recessed on the inside to contain absorbent material and provided with a plate interposed between said materialholding space and the copy-book space by which the pads or moist copying-sheets are covered when the device is closed and separated from said copying-book- An apparatus embodying mysaid invention will be first fully described, and the novel features thereof then pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved combined pad or copying-sheet moistener and copying-press as it appears in use with a copying-book between the clamping-plates, two of the clamping-levers being shown as forced down, as while the copying work is being done, and the other raised in a vertical position; Fig. 2, a transverse central sectional view of the apparatus, also showing the book in place; and Fig. 3, a view of one of the clamps, showing the various positions which it occupies from time to time by means of dotted lines.

In said drawings the portions marked A and B represent the two main clamping-plates5 C, an intermediate plate; D, tie bars or straps by which the two main clamping-plates are connected in operation, and E cam-levers by which the clamping operation is effected.

The body of the clamping-plates A and B is preferably formed of wood covered with sheet metal. The sheet-metal cover on the plate A extends around and forms the back A, to which the plate Bis hinged at a. Said back is of sufcient iieXibility to permit the g required movement of the plates toward and away from each other and extends from the outside corners of said plates rearwardly a distance sufficient to provide room for the back of the book outside of said plates when being used, which provides against injury to the binding thereofwhen clamped in the press. The hinge of the plate B being located at one side of the structure also insures that the two clamping-faces will be substantially parallel when brought to press upon the book, thus securing an even result. Said plate A is cut away or recessed in the center, as shown in Fig. 2, and contains a body of absorbent inaterial M, which will absorb and hold a quantity of water by which blotters or moist copying-sheets placed between the same and the lower side of the interior plate C will'become dampened. Said absorbent material is generally blotting-paper or similar material held in place by a plain cloth cover. Upon this plate are a series of arms a, to which the tie bars D are hinged. Upon the plate B are a corresponding number of arms b, over which the openings in the upper ends of the bars D pass and which form bearings upon which the cam-levers 1 3 operate.

The intermediate plate C is preferably sheet metal with one or two thicknesses of absorbent material secured to the under side thereof, which, like the absorbent material in the plate A, is covered with cloth to secure it in place. This intermediate plate when the device is open is adapted to be raised, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The tie-bars D extend from the arms a tol the arms b and are thus adapted to hold the two clamping-plates toward each other when in position, as shown. They are preferably each composed of two parts having serrated faces, which are held together by a suitable bolt CZ, so that their length may be rendered adjustable.

The levers E are pivoted to the upper ends of the bars D by pivots c. Their pivoted ends are in the form of eccentrics or cams and are thus adapted to forcethe clamping-plate B toward the clamping-plate A with great force when thrown over to the final position. The pivot-centers of these cams are so arranged IOO that when completely thrown over said levers will stay in place because of their own formation.

The operation may bc described as follows: l/Vhen the apparatus is completely open, the bars D and clamping-levers E occupy the eX- treme thrown-over position indicated in Fig. The upper part B is thrown open, and the intermediate plate C is also raised to an elevated position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and a suitable number of moistened pads or copying-sheets are taken from their position between said intermediate plate and the dampening material M in the recess in the cover A. Said plate is then let down to the position shown in fnll lines, the copyingbook with the letters and dampened pads inserted and the plate B brought down to position, the bars D and levers E raised up and brought up into engagement in the position shown, and the levers thrown over, all as will be readily understood.

By the use of my invention -a light, portable, and easily-operated combined pad or copying-sheet inoistener and copying-press is provided which occupies but little room and is inexpensive.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A combined pad-moistener and letter-press, consisting of a base containing a receptacle for absorbent material, a cover therefor provided with absorbent material on its under side, thus forming the pad-moistener, said base being composed of wood covered with sheet metal which metal extends out and up `to form a back for the device, the top clamp- WILLIAM A. VONCANON. [n s] Witnesses:

CHESTER BRADFORD, JAMES A. WALSH. 

